Orders of the Day — Unemployment

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 24 July 1978.

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Photo of Mr Barney Hayhoe Mr Barney Hayhoe , Hounslow Brentford and Isleworth 12:00, 24 July 1978

This is the last Supply Day available in the current Session of Parliament, and it may be the last Supply Day in this Parliament. Therefore, it seemed to the Opposition right and appropriate to choose unemployment as the main subject for debate.

The Government's central and crucial failure to live up to the slogan upon which they won power in February 1974—"Back to Work with Labour"—is central to the charges which the Opposition make of the damage which this Government have done to our country.

In March 1974, there were approximately 600,000 people unemployed in the United Kingdom. The latest figure is 1,585,811. It means that for every hour that this Government have been in power, 25 more people have been added, on average, to the number of unemployed, and 600 for every day.